27 November 2020 | Tennis West

Rising tennis star Derek Pham returned to John Wollaston Anglican Community School on Friday 27 November to gift the school with 60 brand new ANZ Tennis Hot Shots racquets.

As one of just 28 high performance junior athletes invited to attend the Tennis Australia National Tennis Academy (NTA), the talented 16-year-old was committed to giving back to the sport and his former school before relocating to Queensland.

Having first picked up a racquet at the age of just three, Pham progressed quickly along the player pathway training at the State Tennis Centre with the Super 10 squad before being named as a Tennis West National Academy athlete.

Pham says that he loved his years of schooling at John Wollaston and wanted to share his passion for tennis by gifting brand new tennis racquets to the school.

“My first introduction to tennis was at about the age of three when I started in a program aimed at introducing kids to the game. I couldn’t really hit the ball but would always have the racquet in my hand”

“Mum encouraged me to continue with tennis and that’s where my love for the game first started,”

“Heading to the National Tennis Academy in Queensland is really exciting and I’m looking forward to challenging myself physically so I can become a more resilient player who’s able to compete consistently at a high level,”

“I’ve grown up in awe of Nadal’s game. You never see him not in a match. He’s always focused, always competitive and always professional. No one gets an easy match from Nadal”

“More recently though I’ve come to really admire Australia’s leading men in de Minaur, Millman and Thompson. They’re all really tough competitors,”

“I’m really looking forward to heading back to John Wollaston and handing over racquets to the school,”

“It’s a great opportunity for me to give back to the tennis community and John Wollaston having spent so many years growing up there,”

“I hope to inspire the next generation of tennis stars,” said Pham.

Training twice a day and five times a week at the State Tennis Centre, Pham’s hard work and dedication saw him claim the 14/U Australian Championships title in 2018 and selected to represent Australia at the ITF World Junior Championships in the same year.

Receiving the Karen Bucens Award at the 2019 WA Tennis Industry Awards, Pham was at the top of his game at the beginning of 2020 boasting a career high junior ITF ranking of world number 362.

Ranked as the number one player in the country for the 2004 birth year, Pham was selected to represent Australia at the 2020 Junior Davis Cup competition in Malaysia before play was suspended due to COVID-19.

Tennis West National Development Squad Coach Tom George says Derek is an outstanding athlete who continues to lead by example both on and off the court.

“It’s great to see Derek recognising the importance of giving back and returning to his former primary school to hand over 60 brand new ANZ Tennis Hot Shots racquets,”

“Derek has come to maximize his potential through his incredible attitude and dedication to the game. His willingness to learn and train hard are only rivaled by his exemplary court etiquette which makes him a great role model for his peers,”

“Derek was a deserving winner of the 2019 Karen Bucens Award which is awarded to athletes who demonstrate commitment, dedication and perseverance on and off the court,”

“It’s been an absolute pleasure to watch Derek develop his game, his passion and his commitment to the sport throughout his time training here at the State Tennis Centre,”

“He’s definitely one to watch and we wish him all the very best as he continues to chase his dreams,” George said.

The National Tennis Academy is open to players by invitation only and will launch at the beginning of 2021.

Tennis West is proud to announce that seven West Australian athletes were invited to join the NTA.

Jessie Culley
Talia Gibson
Maddison Inglis
Derek Pham
Taylah Preston
Tristan Schoolkate
Zach Viiala

About the Tennis Australia’s National Tennis Academy

Based in Brisbane at the Queensland Tennis Centre, the National Tennis Academy (NTA) will host the country’s top ranked athletes aged 15 to 23 who are tracking towards a top 100 ranking. Under the leadership of Chris Mahony (NTA Head) and Brent Larkham (Head Coach), the NTA aims to develop athletes into future champions and outstanding role models of the game. The approach will focus on the overall development of athletes with leading national and international tennis coaches, cutting edge sports science and sports medicine and individually tailored academic programs.